AMA Recommends Chiropractic Before Surgery

In an article written to educate the public about back pain, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has suggested that patients seek chiropractic and other conservative back-pain treatment before taking more invasive measures.

The article says that surgery is not usually needed for treating back pain and should only be considered when other conservative methods fail.

This recommendation reinforces what the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) teaches patients, as well. Chiropractic should be the first line of defense against musculoskeletal pain. The article has been published online on the JAMA patient page titled “Low Back Pain,” and discusses the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, and prevention of low-back pain. The doctors who wrote the article go on to explain that the back is comprised of bones, nerves, muscles, and soft tissues like ligaments and tendons. Back pain can be a result of problems with any of these structures.

Because chiropractors are neuro-musculoskeletal experts, they are well equipped to manage and prevent low-back pain.

In an interview about the JAMA article, ACA President Keith Overland, DC, said that he and his colleagues at ACA were encouraged to see chiropractic suggested for back-pain treatment. He confirmed that in many cases, back pain can be alleviated without the use of drugs or surgery, “so it makes sense to exhaust conservative options first.”

If you have low-back pain, follow the advice given in both JAMA and by the ACA, visit our Kennesaw chiropractic office. Call us at 770-262-1909 or use the convenient “Contact Us” feature on our website.